Europe’s about to shiver under a late blast of winter. But we can expect to see some hot trends emerging at the 2018 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California from March 7 – 11 – including a new emphasis on lifestyle nutrition and the emergence of cannabinoids and advanced bioactive peptides. The industry’s progression is exciting and the future is bright for the brands who evolve with consumer demand; we only need look at Amazon’s decision to develop their high-quality Amazon Elements supplement range, to see that some huge companies in the health and nutrition sectors are gearing-up to tap into a growing global market.

Here are some of the key trends expected at Anaheim 2018:

Cannabinoids

If there’s a hot and still somewhat controversial word at the show, then it could well be ‘Cannabidiol’ (CBD) – just one of more than 85 cannabinoids presently identified in the cannabis plant and the second most abundant cannabinoid in marijuana after THC. CBD hemp oil is produced from high-CBD, low-THC hemp, unlike medical marijuana products, which tend to be made from plants with high concentrations of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Because hemp only contains trace concentrations of THC, these hemp oil products are non-psychoactive. Nevertheless, there’s a big PR and compliance game to play for companies marketing cannabinoid products – but the number of hemp product start-ups is rapidly growing, including cannabinoid-infused water, protein and lifestyle supplements. Hemp has the potential to be a huge natural market – so keep your eyes on Anaheim.

Protein, innovative bioactives and personalisation

Protein has arguably already gone mainstream, virtue of the emergence of the lifestyle nutrition market. But the competitive nature of the industry means that more emphasis is being placed on infusing protein products with bioactive ingredients that provide additional benefits to consumers. This concept isn’t new to the sports nutrition world – with products such as night-time protein fortified with sleep promoting ingredients, such as zinc and magnesium. However, we can expect to see proteins at Anaheim featuring more creative bioactive ingredients – marketed increasingly at specific niches of the health and lifestyle consumer. The lifestyle and fitness markets are already open to concepts of personalised nutrition, with brands such as Fitness Genes analysing genetics and making training, lifestyle and nutrition recommendations. Expect to see a trend for more personalised protein and nutrition

Genetics, AI and bioactive peptides

While there may not be a robot handing out samples at this year’s Anaheim Expo, the role of artificial intelligence in the nutrition industry is becoming more prominent. Many manufacturers now have the capability to mine deep into the genetic code of plants, in search of new bioactive peptides that offer a myriad of potential health and fitness benefits. Expect to see some impressive new developments in this area and plenty of scope to develop exciting new products.

Vegan innovation

At Anaheim 2017 there was a lot of hype around vegan products that looked and tasted like ‘real meat’. Given the fact that the market remains very green in both the US and rest of the world, it’s highly likely we will see it trending again at this year’s show. In addition to ‘fake meat’ products, the growth of veganism is gathering speed across the world, inclusive of the sports nutrition, lifestyle and health products markets. Expect to see some innovative new vegan products on the market and a rise in consumer credibility.

Lifestyle nutrition

A new report suggests that the global sports nutrition market will achieve an impressive growth by CAGR of 7.9% Expected to Reach by 2025, with lifestyle users expected to become more and more of an influence. At Anaheim 2018, Lifestyle has been given a specific section for the first time, illustrating one of the hottest trends of the year. The atmosphere, style and products on show should be given serious attention by marketers looking to tap-in to an increasingly profitable consumer niche.

Organics

The rise of organics shows no sign of stopping, with Biofach recently reporting that the industry is worth 90 billion US dollars in 2018. The organic market is growing congruently with the demand for lifestyle nutrition. Expect to see a big emphasis on products featuring organic status and high ethical standards.

For more information please contact gillian@fuelrefuel.com at Fuel PR.